July 19, 2015

A bipartisan budget for Maine - By Rep. Mark Bryant

On
June 30, the Legislature passed a state budget. It was a great moment of
bipartisanship. We came together to avoid a state shutdown and put forward a
strong budget for Maine.

This
budget was the result of weeks of public hearings, months of negotiation and
bipartisan compromise.

The
nature of compromise is that no one gets everything they want. There are parts
of the deal that I am not pleased with, but overall it is a fair budget and it
moves us in the right direction.

Even
though this was a budget that both Democrats and Republicans agreed upon, the
governor chose to veto it. This could have had a huge negative impact – not
just in Augusta, but across the state. It would have cut off payment to
hospitals, nursing homes and schools. Businesses would be forced to close their
doors, unable to get the licenses and permits they need to operate. Thousands
of public employees would be put out of work. State parks would be closed at the
height of tourist season. A state shutdown would have had a damaging and
lasting impact on our economy.

Thankfully,
this did not happen. Despite his efforts to throw us off course, legislators
held firm and voted to override the governor’s veto.

I
am proud of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for being responsible and
respectful of our duty to serve Maine people.

There
are several good things in this budget, especially the tax relief that is
largely targeted towards middle-class families. There are also several
components of the budget that are especially good for Windham, including the
preservation of Municipal Revenue Sharing, which will fund local police, fire
and public works. Property taxpayers will benefit from the doubling of the
Homestead Exemption to $20,000 and the protection of the mortgage deduction in
the state tax code. Military pensions will now be exempt from the income
tax.

When
all is said and done, Maine's tax code will become more progressive than under
current law.

The
compromise also puts more resources towards education, which is essential to
improving our economy in the long range. We increased K to 12 education funding
by $80 million, which will not only help our students but will also take some
pressure off property taxpayers – another win for Windham.

There
will be an additional $10 million put towards scholarships and work study for
college students. Funding will be increased for community colleges, which are
important places to get a quality education and a job that pays a decent wage.

The
compromise budget reforms welfare by creating a tiered system that alleviates
the impact of the welfare cliff – the sharp drop-off in benefits that takes
place as recipients work more and their income increases. The goal is for
people in poverty to move into sustainable employment.

The
budget also protects critical services like the Drugs for the Elderly and
Medicare Savings programs. It also provides a modest raise for direct-care
workers who care for seniors and the disabled, which will allow more seniors to
stay in their homes longer as they age.

These
are just some highlights. It was forged in compromise through a process that
was fair and balanced. I am proud that we were able to stand up for students,
workers and middle-class families.